Hi All! Needing a little woman to woman advice. Am I just paranoid or should I seek medical advice?
I am 37 and have had four children from 21-26. Breastfed them all for between 10-11 1/2 months. Possibly tetered on the edge of annorexia at 17. Spent 6 months on Depoprovera at 24. I fractured down through the head of my left tibeal plateaue last Septmber and during the last year went through every possible test (excluing spinal xrays) to find the cause of severe daily headaches. I have had regular upper back and neck pain since having the children. I have a set of bathroom scales that measures BMI, Water Mass and Bone Mass and my Bone Mass reading is 3.0. Can someone give me some clarification what this means and should I investigate this any further?
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RobbieM
- By RobbieM
- Posted May 13, 2009 at 11:39 pm · 3 replies
- In Diagnosing osteoporosis
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Exercise Dehydration Scoliosis Pain Back pain Fractures Osteoporosis Stress
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- By DBM
- Posted May 14, 2009 at 7:51 am
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I suggest having your doctor write a prescription for a DXA scan for bone density rather than rely on a scale to tell you this. Pain in the neck and upper back can be caused by scoliosis or hairline fractures or a multitude of causes including pinched nerves or just plain poor posture. An X-ray can eliminate several possibilities.
I used to get neck pains, which went away after I began resistance training (wieghts) This strengthened the muscles and improved posture. Good luck.
- By SequoiaHealth
- Posted May 14, 2009 at 8:46 am
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Hi Robbie M:
Headaches can come from many causes. They do signal an imbalance in your body. It is good that your tests came up negative. Lifestyle changes are generally to blame. Now you can start looking for simpler causes.
The main causes I see in clients are:
1. Dehydration. Adequate water is essential for all functions of the body. Insufficient water intake can cause headaches by reducing kidney function and raising blood pressure.
2. Stress. High stress living increases total body inflammation and pain.
3. Food. Low blood sugar can have a profound effect on headaches.
4. Tight Muscles. Muscle tension and pressure on joints creates irritation and pain.
Hope this helps.
Woody McMahon
Reston/Herndon Osteoporosis Support Group Leader
- By Fronk
- Posted May 14, 2009 at 11:23 am
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Robbie--
Sounds like quite a mystery! Good for you for being proactive and trying to find out what is going on!
One thing I would suggest is for you to consult a dentist familiar with Temporal Mandibular Joint (TMJ) disorders. TMJ can cause all kinds of head, neck, and back pain. I know 'cause I have dealt with it in the past. There are mechanical means to deal with this.
I would also suggest a really good blood work-up including a CBC, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Vitamin D level. In 2004 I also had severe headaches everyday for two months, and through blood tests I found I had suddenly become very anemic due to another blood condition for which I now receive on-going monitoring and treatments.
And I agree that getting a scan to assess your bone density is very important, particularly with your history. This should definitely be done before starting any exercise program, even more so since you experienced the bone fracture last year.
Let us know what you find out!
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